Bachiatari Ougi Cursed Secret
by Darkest Melody
Summary: Confusion reigns through the Sohma’s as Tohru’s mysterious cousin appears and to make matters worse it seems that she can sense their Inner spirits. Who is she really and why has she come into their lives? an Fruits Basket Inu Yasha crossover
1. Default Chapter

Ok this is gonna be a slightly Au fic so please don't flame me saying " That never happened!" oh and for those who don't like older men with younger woman or Kagome as a youkai I seriously recommend you don't read this since both will be present.

Ok now that I have said that I guess it's time for you to know what this story is about. Well basically it's a Fruits Basket/Inu Yasha story that basically just has the Inu characters in the FB world.

Summery: Confusion reigns through the Sohma's as Tohru's mysterious cousin appears and can somehow hug them without them changing, and to make matters worse it seems that she can sense their Inner spirits. Who is she really and why has she come into their lives?

You guys have two choices for Kagome guy

Shigure ( my favorite)

Hatori ( my beta's favorite)

All the others are open for pairings I guess though I would prefer it to be a Kyo/Tohru pairing since I am better at writing them.

Kagome sighed as she stretched out her arms above her head, causing her pale blue tank top to ride up and expose a little of her well defined stomach. _I am glad I decided to do this even though the other's all thought I shouldn't. _She lowered her arms and looked around her new room, _I can't believe Sessho had this place just sitting here empty except for the servant's…_She shook her head _Well I guess I can't really blame him, he has lived a very long time and I know he owns dozens of mansions all over the world, this place is like a summer cottage to him._

She moved across the room and stopped in front of her new beside table, she leaned down and picked up a picture frame. Her face softened as she looked at her favorite photo of all her friends, _Sango, Miroku…I miss you both so much and little Rin of course. _In the picture a slightly younger looking Kagome stood next to two silver haired youkai by the names of Sesshomaru and Inu Yasha with Shippo in her arms while kneeling in front of them were Sango, Miroku, Lady Keade and Rin who was holding a huge bouquet of wildflowers ( which she later placed in her Sesshomaru-sama's hair…lol) This picture had been taken just before the final battle with Naraku, _Everything was so peaceful yet hectic back then, like a dream that would never end…_she was snapped out of her thoughts by a soft knock on her door, " Hai? " she called out placing the treasured photo back in it's former place.

" Sorry to disturb you Lady Kagome, but Sesshomaru-sama is on the phone for you in the study." the servant's soft voice answered her. Kagome sighed once again _Those guys are such worrier's! I have been here barely two hours and already they call to check up on me…_she shook her head in amusement at her over protective adoptive brother/sons natures. " I will be down in just a moment," she called back.

" Would you like me to wait and guide you to the study Lady Kagome?" was the servant's reply, Kagome shook her head _I am not sure I can get used to living in a house with servant's, even if they are youkai servants who have served Sessho for years…_" No I can find my way thank you." there was a pause and then " As you wish Lady Kagome." and then she could hear the quite footsteps as the servant retreated.

Kagome moved to her closet and quickly changed out of her unpacking clothes, which had consisted of a pale blue tank top and a pair of loose exercise pants in matching baby blue. She quickly selected a pair of simple black slacks which when you looked at them seemed to be made of a very slinky material and a sleeveless royal purple silk shirt that buttoned up the front and molded to her curves. She quickly brushed out her long raven colored hair and made sure she still had on the ring Sesshomaru had given her made of his fang, it was a pure white with a delicate engraving of flowers surrounding a crescent moon in the center. It had been a gift to her after Inu Yasha and the others had saved her life by making her a full youkai and part of the Taishou family in truth rather then just an adopted member. Her eyes clouded as she flashed back to that painful time…

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Flashback

A already wounded Kagome stood tall in the middle of a huge battlefield, her body was already covered in welts and gashes from where she had fought off numerous lesser youkai while trying to get to their leader. Sango and Miroku were across the battlefield taking care of most of the remaining lesser youkai while Inu Yasha and Sesshomaru were fighting Kanna and Naraku's newest 'child' which seemed to a mixture of a spider youkai and a troll, in other words not very pretty or smart but a very good fighter since he seemed to be doing ok against the two powerful brothers. Kouga was there as well fighting against Kagura and was actually doing a fairly good job, the Wind Sorceress was actually covered in bruises and bloody gashes from the enraged wolf prince's fists and claws. He had called the right to kill her before the battle had begun and so far everyone, even Inu Yasha was respecting that. That just left Kagome since Shippo was safely back in the Western Lands with Rin and Keade, it had been a tough fight but between Sesshomaru's icy glare and her own well known stubbornness they had managed to convince Shippo and Rin that they would be better off not taking place in the battle.

The circle of youkai around her parted just enough for her to catch a glimpse of the evil hanyou responsible for all this suffering and bloodshed. " NARAKU YOU BASTERD," she released her purifying power in a wave, killing all youkai within a twenty foot radius of her body " Can you not fight me like the man you once were or are you to much of a coward to face a lone woman!?!" her voice dripped with mocking venom and it got the desired results.

" YOU DARE TO CALL THIS NARAKU A COWARD WOMAN!" he roared, dropping his baboon pelt and showing the form of the dark haired human lord he had stolen so long ago. His crimson eyes blazed with anger and no small amount of madness as he tried to force even more of the half completed Shikon jewel's power into his hanyou body. The results were more then a little gross as tentacles sprouted from his lower body and he began to morph into some strange mixture or spider and lizard, his whole body scaled over and became a puke green with slim over it while his face elongated and grew oversized fangs which dripped with clear poison.

To Kagome and the other's it was more then a little clear that the Shikon shard in his body had driven him more then a little insane…

She barely managed to dodge one of his disgusting tentacles in time as he launched his attacks, he was attacking blindly in his power induced rage which made it easier to dodge but not to much since his speed had increased ten fold with the extra boost the corrupted jewel had given him. " You will never defeat me Naraku or should I call you by your once true name of Onigumo, a pathetic human thief who lusted after a sympathetic miko who barely acknowledged his existence outside keeping his crippled body alive?" she taunted, hoping to make him loose his cool even more so she could get close enough to release her gathered power directly into his twisted body.

Sesshomaru and the others paused for a second to gap at her " Kagome what the fuck are you thinking!" Inu Yasha yelled trying to get to Naraku and his best friend but was once again blocked by his opponent. Sesshomaru on the other hand recovered quickly and simply sent her a chastising look, he knew what she was doing and didn't approve one little bit. Sango and Miroku were forced to look away as yet another wave of youkai attacked them, " Just make it out of this alive Kagome-chan" Sango whispered while trying to keep her friend in her sights. Kouga on the other hand was proud of 'his woman' he always was one for taunting the enemy and had just been surprised that his once sweet Kagome had taken on the same tactic as his wolves.

Kagome ignored her friends calls and looks and focused completely on the insane hanyou in front of her, " I see it hit a nerve.." she taunted as his eyes bled completely crimson and he launched a blind attack at her, his tentacles ripping up the ground near her as she dodged and weaved her way closer to him; her katanna infused with some of her spare energy turning them to dust at first contact. She came to a stop less then a foot from his dripping fangs " Now you die Naraku…" she whispered as she pushed her hands outward, ignoring the stinging pain from his venom hitting her arms and eating through he fabric of her haori.

All movement stopped as Naraku screamed out in rage and pain as his body began to disintegrate piece by piece, Kanna and Kagura stopped their fighting and watched impassively as the hanyou who had controlled them died at the hands of the very miko they had tried to kill. Sesshomaru and Inu Yasha who had just killed the detachment in their way stopped and watched their 'sister' kill their foe. Sango and Miroku just gapped at the amount of power their friend was displaying in killing off the thousands of youkai bodies which formed Naraku, that is until Miroku glanced down and saw his Wind Tunnel shirking with every piece of Naraku that disappeared…

He let out a whoop of joy that caused everyone, except Kagome herself to turn away from Naraku and look at him " Ah…hehe I was just surprised to see it shrinking so soon.." he murmured sweat dropping. A sudden cry of pain caused everyone to turn back to Kagome and Naraku only to see their worst fear's come true…

A single tentacle pierced Kagome through her stomach, a trail of dark blood already trailing from the corner of her mouth as she coughed but still managed to keep her power going.

" Kagome!!!" from the two Inu brothers and shocked wolf prince

Kagome-chan!!!" from Sango and Miroku

They all raced for their wounded comrade but five feet from her they slammed into a clear barrier, Kagome turned to them " You guys need to stay way..." she coughed up some more blood " I need to finish this now."

" Woman drop this barrier at once and this Sesshomaru will finish off the disgrace" Sesshomaru demanded, slipping back into his Ice Prince role in his concern.

" Oi do what the baka told you wench, we can handle it from here" Inu Yasha growled, his hands tight around Tetsusaiga's hilt as he fought his youkai bloods urges to kill the threat to his family.

Naraku turned his head and looked from Kagome to her panicked friends " You should do what they say onna, otherwise you will die in here with me." he paused and gave a grunt of pain as his remaining limb was purified and he was left with barely a head and shoulders.

Kagome turned back to him, blocking out her friends pleas she leaned foreword till her mouth was next to his now human looking ear " Why would I want to do that?" her voice lowered to a hiss " I am having WAY to much fun feeling the life drain out of your corrupted body." she smirked at his startled expression " What you didn't think I had it in me to hate you? Well I have news for you! For all you've done to my friends-no MY FAMILY I want to see you roast in the darkest pit of hell for all eternity!" She managed to pull herself up and clasped her hands to either side of his now human face " It's time for you to die Naraku…" she whispered her voice cold and void of all feeling as she released the final dredges of her miko powers into his body.

Without even a final scream Naraku died, leaving a fallen Kagome bleeding on the blood stained ground clutching his half of the Shikon no Tama in her hands, seeing that the danger was over Kagome lowered her shield just in time to witness Kagura and Kanna walking up to her. Inu Yasha and the others gathered around her like a shield and all the youkai of the group growled low in response to their continued threat.

They stopped a few feet away from the battered and tired group " Thank you Kagome-sama for freeing us after all this time.." Kagura allowed her voice to trail off as she watched her hand begin to flicker in and out of existence. The other watched shocked as the two detachments began to fade " Without Naraku holding our hearts we are once again free to become what we were always meant to be…" Kanna continued as she faded away " I thank you…" her soft voice echoed.

Kagura turned to a scowling Kouga " I will apologize for killing your tribe but there was nothing I could do to fight against Naraku who held the key to my prison, my heart in his fist. " she smiled and for once it wasn't a mocking one as her body faded " I am the Wind again, always free…" her voice echoed till all was silent once again.

Everyone just kinda stood there shocked until a bright flash of pale pink light from behind them caused them to whirl around and see Kagome sitting up and fusing the Shikon no Tama together once again with the last remains of her once huge powers.

" Oi, what are you doing wench" Inu Yasha barked before kneeling down next to her and pulling her into his lap " You should be resting till Sesshomaru or Keade can heal you…"

At his words Sesshomaru drew Tensaigia from it's sheath and prepared to heal Kagome with it, everyone waited with bated breath as he slashed the healing sword across her gapping stomach. There was collective silence when nothing happened…

" Oi, Sesshomaru what the fucks wrong with your sword!?!" Inu Yasha yelled " Why the fuck didn't it heal Kagome!?" his voice was rising along with his panic as he was faced with the possibility of losing his best friend.

" Yeh what Dog-breath said!" Kouga yelled clenching his fists. Sango and Miroku just stood there in stunned shock, that is until a weak voice broke through to them " Guy's don't fight onegai ( please tell me if that's the right spelling…) It's ok I kinda expected something like this would happen, my power blocks the swords demonic healing powers since they do in fact come from a youkai blade." she paused for a second to give a few hacking coughs, flecks of blood staining her hand when she pulled them away " Please don't blame Sesshomaru minna-san there was truly nothing he could do…" she looked up at the slowly panicking Taiyoukai

" Don't blame yourself either Sesshomaru," she paused to catch her breath and when she spoke again her voice was weak and held a slight wheeze " It was just fate that this happened…you did everything you could."

Sesshomaru turned his face away, unable to take the soft and forgiving look in her eyes. He felt like he was betraying her in not protecting her during the fight, then even worse not being able to heal her afterwards. He clenched his hands so tight his claws pierced his palms and little crescents of blood formed and then dripped to the ground, staining the already dark soil even more. Sesshomaru had only one thought on his mind at that moment _Gomen nasi, Kagome…my sister in spirit if not blood, I failed you…_

Kouga not wanting to scare Kagome moved to the other side of the clearing and began punching his rage out into the hapless tree's, _Damn it how could I fail her like this! I am the Wolf Prince, I am the strongest in my pack I should have been able to protect her from that Basterd…_he looked over at the dieing form of the woman he had come to love with all his heart _Kagome…please don't leave me,_ He bowed his head and slumped to the ground, his hands resting across his knee's _I swear if you come back to me I will never fail you again!_

Meanwhile Inu Yasha was having his won little crisis as he held the dieing body of the girl he considered a younger sister/best friend in his arms, her every shuddering breath was felt through their close contact and he was having a hard time keeping his emotions in check. " Kagome…" his voice was soft with poorly hidden concern. She looked up at him and he flinched seeing the look in her eyes, she had already accepted she was going to die. Her voice was soft and breathy when she spoke " Inu..Yasha..I wan…want…to give…you…" there was a long pause as she gathered her breath " I want to give you the Shikon no Tama…Please use it to grant your hearts true wish." her eyes started to close and he clutched her closer to him " Kagome!? Kagome!?" he yelled, shaking her. Her eyes opened again a little more unfocused as she lifted her hands and placed them in his own clawed one's, closing them around the completed jewel

"Please Inu Yasha, you can become a full youkai…" she paused for a moment " You can even wish Kikyo back with her full soul now that I will be dead." her eyes showed no pain at these words, she had long accepted he didn't love her and never would except as a sister.

" Over my dead body will he wish that bitch back after you die Kagome!" Kouga yelled, Sango and Miroku nodded while Sesshomaru turned back around and flexed his claws in a silent threat in case his stupid younger half brother even considered it. He just growled at them " I don't need the jewel Kagome, you taught me to be happy as I am and mine and Kikyo's time is over. It ended 50 years ago when our trust failed to stand against Naraku's trickery…" his voice was still laced with old pain.

She sighed and closed her eyes, letting her body relax " Then I don't care what you do with it Inu Yasha as long as evil never gets their hands on it," she gave a weak laugh " You never know maybe MY reincarnation will appear and help protect it after I die…"

Inu Yasha stood no longer able to keep still, Sesshomaru took his place holding Kagome before the wolf prince could get near her, when Kouga looked about to protest Sesshomaru simply sent him an icy glare which froze him in his tracks. Inu Yasha paced back and forth, the jewel still clutched in his claws, _There has to be a way to save her! I just have to think what could keep her from dieing without using youkai power like the Tensaigia…_He froze in place when an idea came to him.

" The fucking Jewel!" he shouted out of the blue, startling the other's

" What about the jewel Inu Yasha?" Sango and Miroku both questioned in unison, they blushed and sweat dropped at the looks the three youkai were giving them.

" We can use the jewel to save Kagome's life…" Inu Yasha muttered, not sure they would accept his idea as a valid one. They all exchanged looks " If it could help save Kagome I am all for it!" Kouga declared, he was the first to speak.

Sesshomaru looked up " I am in agreement with the wolf, if the jewel can save her I say use it." his voice was bland but you could see the renewed hope in his eyes. Sango and Miroku were the last to speak, " If it's what you want Inu Yasha we wont stop you, but remember only a pure wish will destroy the jewel " there was a brief pause before Miroku continued " This may not destroy the jewel."

Inu Yasha scowled " I don't care about getting rid of the damn thing, I just wanna save her life!" he growled before focusing on the jewel in his hands which glowed a soft pink color now that Kagome had purified it of the taint created by Naraku and Kikyo.

He bowed his head _Please grant my wish spirit's inside the Shikon no Tama…Please heal Kagome and allow her to continue living! _he was more then a little surprised when a woman's soft voice answered him **_Are you sure you desire this, no matter changes may occur in her?_** he paused to think before nodding his head _Yes just please don't let my sister die, I don't know what I would do without her. Hell I don't know what Sesshomaru would do without her, she is our light…_his inner voice trailed off and blushed a little at how sappy he was being. A soft laugh and a sense of warmth came before the woman spoke again **_Very well then, I will grant you and your friends wish to save this young miko's life…_**

He was nearly knocked off his feet at the pulse of power the small jewel suddenly gave off after her words faded, the Shikon rose from his hands and flew to rest above Kagome's chest, its pale pink light surrounding her and lifting her off the ground. They could only stand and watch in shock as her body began to change, her own human hands and ears changed and became clawed/pointed like Sesshomaru's and her once mid-back length hair grew to just past her thighs. That wasn't the end of her changes either they saw when her eyes snapped open and she gasped, her teeth were fanged and she now had slitted cat like blue eyes with small flecks of silver in them to match the silver stripes and midnight colored crescent moon on her forehead and cheeks.

All in all Kagome was a gorgeous female Inu youkai who carried the marks of the Western family on her face much like Sesshomaru's own mother had before her death.

End Flashback

She laughed as she remembered Inu Yasha's reaction to Kouga's first words after that. The whole " Now that you're a youkai our pup's wont be hanyou's!" bit hadn't gone over well and the poor wolf prince had been chased away for months before she had seen him again. She had been 17 at the time and over the next year or so she had trained with Sesshomaru in how to conceal her new youkai features and adapt to her new ability's on top of her already power miko powers. She hadn't stayed in that era all the time though, no she had gone back to her own time and explained what had happened to her family, it had been a shock for them but they had quickly gotten over it.

She glanced down at the small silver watch on her wrist, _Damn I have kept him on the phone for five minutes!_ she quickly left her room and headed to the study just a couple halls away from her room. Once there she picked up the phone " Hai, what is it Sesshomaru? I just finished unpacking and I haven't even gotten a chance to go visit her." her words may have been a little curt but her amused tone softened it.

" I was just calling to make sure you got there alright and to confirm that we will be coming down to visit you this weekend." his voice was just as amused as hers since he knew very well she had been expecting his call, he did have a reputation for being an overprotective brother after all. Though he wasn't nearly as bad as Inu Yasha about threatening all males within a 20 foot radius of their little sister, he could still remember the legendary fights between his brother and the cocky wolf prince back before Kagome had returned to her home in the future for good.

" Hai, got here just fine. Though you really didn't need to be so worried about it, it was just a couple hour drive from Tokyo to here." her voice became soft " I really appreciate you letting me have this house though Sesshomaru, it would have been a little hard to find a decent place with the necessary privacy." she paused and he could almost hear her think " When you guys come down here on Saturday just remember my cousin may already be here so try and act normal and don't bring up the whole youkai thing," she paused " And make SURE Inu Yasha has his concealment spell on and isn't just wearing a hat." he chuckled a little at that, his brother was well known for forgetting to use his spell when he thought no one was around and it had gotten him in trouble more then once.

" I gotta go now, I was just heading out to go see her Sessho-kun. But call me again later this week and we can arrange the time of your visit and all that stuff." her voice was light and full of happiness once again.

" As you wish 'Gome but there was no need to thank me for the use of the house, what's mine is yours" he smirked on his end " We ARE family after all." he heard her small chuckle and continued " I will call back in two days and confirm everything." and then he hung up without another word.

Kagome grimaced at the phone, he was always doing that to her. _One of these day's Sesshomaru I am gonna do that to you and see how you like it._ She shook her head and her brief irritation was gone, replaced by excitement at seeing her cousin for the first time since they were both 10. She quickly left the study and headed down to the entrance hall, " Has the car been brought around?" she asked the servant who answered the door. " Hai lady Kagome, it is waiting for you out front as we speak." h held out the keys and she smiled, said a quick thank you and was gone the door closing softly behind her.

Ok there was supposed to be a whole bunch of other stuff in here but dang it's already 10 pages long and well my fingers hurt so you will just have to wait till chapter 2 to for the bishonen of Fruits Basket to appear.

Read and review and let me know what you think of it.


	2. Chapter Two Meeting the Sohma's

Ok, here is the second chapter and the one where I introduce some of the Sohma's and start having some fun messing with their minds…lol

Thanks go to:

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Kagome Otome: Thanks for the compliment and your right I figured I should get off my but and write this crossover since I have had the idea running around in my head for the longest time….lol

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Silverspun: Hey glad you like it so far, and I will make note of your Hatori vote my Beta thanks you since she thinks they would be an Kawaii couple. And sorry no Sesshomaru in this one, maybe the next chapter.

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Mademoiselle Morte: Lol...be happy girl another person voted for Hatori/Kagome so you may get your wish! And don't worry I will keep updating as fast as possible, we both know this would have been finished yesterday if my comp hadn't frozen and lost the whole 8 pages… Grumbles at evil computer pixy's well anyway keep reviewing chica!

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DatGirl650: Thank you so much for the wonderful review but I have to say this is not my first story. I also use the name Inu YoukaiHime or Youkai Hime on mediaminer.org, if you truly like this one please check out my others which are Inu Yasha/Yu Yu Hakusho based.

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Dee-Chan: Thanks for the wonderful review and hope you keep on enjoying the story, I was inspired to write this because I couldn't find more then one really well written Fruits Basket/Inu Yasha crossover and that bugged me.

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Morgan: hey thanks for the review and be sure to have fun on your sugar high…lol

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Katie: Hey thanks for the review but next time could you write more the MORE, MORE, MORE? You know like telling me what you liked and maybe which pairing you would prefer?

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Defafaeth Mechqua: umm, same as above but maybe you could actually write something instead of putting ? It would be a big help to know what people liked about this so I don't disappoint them…

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Shinksnneko: Thanks for the wonderful review and don't worry I will be posting as often as I can!

Alright then now that I have done that back to the pairing results:

Shigure 1

Hatori 2

Not a whole lot of votes here people so please vote on which guy you would prefer with Kagome, and if you don't vote on Tohru and the other's I will just match them up my way…lol

OK that's should answer all questions I think so lets get this chapter started shall we?

Chapter Two

Twenty minutes later she had pulled up in front of a moderate sized house in one of the many suburbs of the city, " This is the right address…" she murmured before getting out, locking and setting the alarm before turning to walk up the path to the door to ring the bell. She rang the bell and waited for a few minutes before the door was opened by a girl who looked to be maybe a year or two older then herself with medium brown hair that fell to her shoulders. Kagome smiled at her even though from what she could read of the girls aura she was a bit of a snob and not very nice " Hello miss, may I speak with Tohru please?" she kept her voice polite and as friendly as she could.

The girl who hadn't introduced herself frowned " Tohru doesn't live here anymore, she moved in with three guys about a year and a half ago." she started to close the door but Kagome put her foot in the way, her smile still there but now a little forced.

" Well then can you please give me her new address? I would really like to speak with her." she kept her tone very even though she was irritated with the girl's poor manners and attitude. _I can see why Tohru-chan moved out of this place, these people have no respect for anyone!_

She turned her attention back to the now visibly irritated girl " Look miss I don't know what her new places address is so can you just leave already!?" she ended her voice slightly raised like she wanted to yell but couldn't since she didn't want to draw attention to them.

" Don't be so rude to guests Nanami!" an older voice reprimanded and the girl at the door flinched and opened to door completely to reveal a shot old man with a kinda but authorities look to him. Kagome bowed in greeting " Hello Sir, I am Kagome Higurashi and I am looking for my cousin Tohru Honda." She shot a look at the rude girl " I was told she lived here but I have been informed she moved out?" her voice was once again friendly polite to the older man.

He smiled at her " You must be her mother's sister daughter, I remember seeing you when you were just a small girl; you and Tohru used to play together all the time." she smiled and nodded " Hai, I came here to visit her and to let her know I have moved here," she paused " Would you happen to have her new address then Honda-san?" she remembered him now, he was Tohru's grandfather on her fathers side. When she would visit when she was younger they would sometimes visit him with Tohru and her mother.

He nodded " Hai just a moment and I can write down the directions and address for you, I know Tohru will be glad to see you. She was sad you couldn't attend her mother's Funeral but she understood since you were so sick at the time." he didn't notice her flinch _If only he knew it wasn't cause I was sick but because I was hunting the shards in the past…_

A few minute later he returned and handed her a small slip of paper to her, " These are the directions and Address for the Sohma's house were Tohru lives now" he said. She was curious and just had to ask " Why does Tohru-chan stay there with three men?" he smiled sensing her concerned curiosity

" You don't have to worry about the Sohma men, they all respect her greatly and despite some appearance's they are all gentlemen and wouldn't o anything to her." he paused for a second and shook his head " She earns her room and board by working as their housekeeper even though they would gladly let her remain there free of charge."

Kagome smiled and shook her head " That's does sound like Tohru-chan." she bowed again " Well thank you for all your help Honda-san, I will give Tohru your Hello's." having said her goodbye's she began to walk back to her parked car. Tohru's grandfather watched her walk away, _What a polite young woman she is, so like Kyoko used to be…_he shook his head and closed the door, going back to his reading.

Kagome sighed before looking back down at the instructions on the slip of paper, _Yup this is where I am supposed to park and start walking. _She got out of the car and locked it before starting up the wooded path to the house; she started to take in scenery surrounding her. The path was neatly trimmed with no debris and trimmed with wildflowers of various hues, the occasional flowering shrub here or there, all in all it was a beautiful wooded pathway. She stopped when she spotted a small vegetable garden a little ways off the path, she moved over the get a better look at it. Small strawberries and leeks, along with carrots, onions and a few other types of vegetables were lined up in neat rows in the dark soil. She kneeled down and reached a hand out to touch one of the leaves on the smallest of the strawberry plants, _It just needs a bit of help to be as strong as the others…_she mused and focused a little of her power into the tiny plant. Soon a pale pink glow surrounded the tiny little plant and it began to grow greener and in size till it was actually larger then some of the other plants, _There we go now you're all better…_she looked at the other plants _Now to help out these other's. _She allowed her power to flow out and heal an strengthen the other's as well, _They must have been damaged by the brief cold spell we had a few weeks ago…_she mused before standing up and dusting off her hands.

She looked down at her handy work, the once small and struggling plants were now large and a healthy green, especially the strawberries which had large deep red berries now growing from the stems. " Ok, now I had better get back to walking to the house. Otherwise I may just sit here all day tending to this little garden." She laughed a little before turning and heading back to the path to continue her trek. Ten minutes later she spotted the house, it was a fair good sized house in a mix of the traditional style and western with two stories and the traditional Japanese doors and stone pathway leading to it. _This looks like a nice place, Tohru must be happy here…_ she walked up to the door and knocked but after a few minutes when no one answered she started to frown, _Where is everyone? Tohru's grandfather assured me she would be here now that she has graduated._

Just then she heard voice's coming from the back of the house, _They must be back there and couldn't hear me knocking, _she smiled _Well then I will just have to go to them! _She turned and started to do just that and the voices became easier to hear, the two loudest (arguing) seemed to be male and the female one which broke in a few times and seemed to be trying to calm everyone down was very familiar sounding " Must be Tohru…" she whispered and picked up her pace a bit, in a hurry to see her cousin. As she did she could clearly hear the argument going on between two of the male voices…

" Shut up ya damn rat!"

" Make me you STUPID cat…"

Then came the sounds of someone throwing a punch, and Tohru's muffled gasp before…

" Yuki, Kyo stop it onegai!" Tohru's voice was laced with worry for one of the two fighters and she decided it was time to stop whatever was going on back there. She barely had time to take in Tohru standing on the side porch next to a dark haired man a few years older then herself, before she turned her attention to the two boy's fighting in front of her. The orange haired one seemed to be a fairly good marital artist, but was a little sloppy in his anger; the slimmer boy with dark silver/gray hair on the other hand was easily blocking the carrot tops wild swings and kicks.

Kagome looked over to her cousin and followed her gaze back to the orange haired youth, _That must be the boy she's worried about_…she mused before moving forward in a blur of speed and blocking a kick to his face from the silver haired one. " I don't know why you are fighting but you had better stop it before you make Tohru-chan cry or I will be angry." Her voice was deadly cold and she meant every word. She followed her threat with a backhand to his face before he could block and sending him flying to the ground, he just laid there for a second before getting to his feet in a defensive stance she recognized as one Sango had used a time or two before. _His sensei must have been one of her and Miroku's descendants…_she inwardly laughed when she noticed the stunned look on the carrot tops face at the blood trickling from his former opponents lip.

The dark haired man stood and walked towards her " Excuse me Miss but who are you and why are you here?" she turned to look at him and got the shock of her life as his aura along with the other two finally registered _They have displaced youkai soul's clinging to them..._ she focused her powers on the one walking toward her _It seems to be some kinda of curse, but what is it's trigger?_ She was tempted to raise a barrier but decided against it, _Whatever it is seems to be ineffective against other's with youkai blood or powers so I should be ok._ Seeing that everyone, including Tohru was still waiting for her answer she spoke " I am here to see Tohru-chan of course."

Her words got mixed reactions from the group, the silver haired boy relaxed a little while the orange haired boy and Tohru looked a little confused. The dark haired one though seemed to find her words amusing " And just how do you know our little flower?" he asked. She inwardly growled at his words but refrained from saying anything about it " I don't really see how's its any of your concern how I know Koneko-chan." She deliberately used her childhood nickname for Tohru in hopes of sparking her memories.

It worked " 'Gome-chan!" Tohru squealed and launched herself at her slightly older cousin, they hugged and Kagome was more then a little amused at the surprised looks on the guy's faces. As for the guys they were in shock at their timid little Tohru throwing herself into the arms of the raven haired woman who had just thrown Yuki across the yard.

" Who do you think she is?" Yuki asked Kyo and Shigure, his eyes never once left Tohru and her friend. " I don't know, maybe another friend of hers from before she met us?" Shigure mused his dark eyes looking over the newcomer.

" Feh, does it really matter who she is. What I wanna know is how she beat Yuki like she wasn't even trying!" Kyo muttered, his ruby gaze locked on the slightly taller girl still hugging Tohru. They all watched as the two broke apart and they all got their first good look at the newcomer. Long raven hair hanging loose past her waist, bright deep blue eyes with small flecks of silver and pale pink lips set on a stunning face. She was a little taller then Tohru, maybe around five and a half feet give or take and was dressed in black pants and a dark purple button-up sleeveless shirt with the top two buttons left undone. Shigure couldn't help but think that she was one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen in his 26 years…

Kyo broke the silence " So Tohru who is that?" his voice was gruff but still soft; you could tell he cared about her. Kagome smiled, _He reminds me of Inu Yasha…_ She smiled and extended her hand to him

" Hi there, my name is Kagome Higurashi and I am Tohru-chan's cousin." She watched their jaws drop and couldn't help but laugh, " Ha ha ha, you guys look like you thought koneko-chan didn't have any family besides those jerks on her father's side of the family."

Yuki blinked " So you are Miss Honda's cousin from her mother's side of the family? " Tohru smiled

" Yes, Kagome-chan and I used to play together a lot when we were younger, till her father died and they moved to Tokyo to live in the Shrine." The guys blinked _The Shrine?_ They all thought.

Kagome laughed at the sweat drops forming on their heads and decided to explain " My family has taken care of the Sunset Shrine in Tokyo for the last 500 years, my grandfather is the current owner and priest there and it's where me and my mother and brother moved to after my fathers death when I was ten." She turned back to Tohru " You really haven't explained anything about your mother's side of the family have you?" she questioned and Tohru blushed and shook her head.

Shigure decided to take pity on the poor girl " Why don't we go inside and have some tea while you girls catch up," he paused and his tone became suggestive (think Miroku) " and you can tell us all about what our little flower was like as a little girl." Kagome smirked, she knew just how to throw the little puppy off for that was the spirit clinging to him, an inu youkai.

" Alright puppy lead the way, I could use a nice cup of tea."

Tohru and the Sohma's froze at her use of the term puppy and sent her odd looks, " Why did you call Shigure-san a puppy Kagome-chan" Tohru questioned slightly panicky. _So she does know about the curse, good this could be fun…_" Because he reminds me of a playful puppy when he acts like that, well that and that hentai Miroku" she flashed them a quick wink " But at least he hasn't groped me or asked me to bear his child yet" she laughed at the shocked looks on their faces.

Kyo sputtering, " Someone actually asked you to bear his child!? " his red eyes were wide open and shocked. She laughed again " Yeah, more then once actually. I got used to it though I mean he did ask EVERY pretty girl he saw the same question and he is one of my best friends, though I think he really mellowed after he married Sango-chan" she paused and placed her finger to her lips " Though that could have been because of all the blunt force trauma caused by Sango and me when he groped us…" she let her voice trail off and watched the sweat drops grow back on both Tohru's and the guys heads.

Tohru relaxed and didn't seem to catch the violent undertones to her words " It sounds like you have very interesting friends Kagome-chan, I cant wait to hear all about them!" she began to lead Kagome into the house and the guy's followed.

After they were all seated and had their own cups of tea and a tray of snacks, which Tohru brought out, Tohru asked, " So what have you been up to Kagome-chan?"

Kagome took a sip of her tea before answering, " Well after we moved I started at a new school and made three new friends Yuka, Ari, and Ayumi. We were close until my second year of high school and I started get to sick a lot, " she paused " After that we just kinda grew apart but I made new friends who visited me a lot and helped me out with everything from my schoolwork to just keeping my spirits up. That's basically all that happened for the next two years till I graduated second in my class last year thanks to all my friends help, I decided not to go to college and took a part time job as a friends consultant but I spend 80% of my time just painting, I seem to be pretty popular and my painting are selling quite rapidly."

" If I may ask, what name are your paintings under Miss Higurashi?" Yuki asked curious. " Hai, you may ask Yuki-kun. I use the name Destiny…" she watched Shigure and Yuki's jaws drop " You mean you painted Shadowed Love?!" he gasped, his pretty purple eyes wide with shock. " Oi, what's so special about her name rat!" Kyo barked folding his arms.

Shigure turned to him " Destiny happiness to be the name of the top artist in the world at the moment,

her paintings are legendary for the feelings they capture and in inspire in others. I think Akito bought one a few months ago and it cost him a couple thousand…" he paused and sent each other the boys a look " He said it was very soothing…"

Kagome leaned forward " Really, which one did this Akito buy? " she was genuinely curious about which painting of hers had brought peace to a man they so obviously feared. Shigure " Well I believe it was called Truth in the Moonlight…" Kagome sighed and nodded " Hai I remember that painting, it was inspired by a friend of mine when he was going through a very rough time trying to come to terms with himself after something he had done that he deeply regretted. She thought back to the image of that particular painting, a shadowed figure standing in the only spot of Moonlight in a black velvet night. His very posture screaming his pain but he wasn't alone…he was held in the arms of a figure who's face was turned to the side so you could only see her profile as she comforted his tortured form. She brushed the image away and focused back on Tohru.

" Well anyway as I was saying I have basically spent the last year and a half painting and helping out where I am need and well I decided to take a break and set up a home…" she winked " I cant keep living with my family forever no matter how great they think that idea would be."

Tohru smiled " So you have rented an apartment then Kagome-chan?" Kagome shook her head " No Tohru I bought a house here, just a small drive away from here actually." she paused and watched their reactions. Tohru and Kyo both looked shocked and Yuki and Shigure each looked mildly surprised but not as bad as the other two since they had an idea of just how much money she made from her work.

" So you have decided to set up house here then Miss Higurashi?" Yuki inquired.

" Hai, I thought I would be nice to live near Tohru-chan since she and I were so close when we were younger," she paused and sighed " I always felt guilty that I couldn't be there for Kyoko-san's funeral…" she let her head drop and Tohru moved over and placed a comforting arm around her shoulders " Don't worry Kagome-chan I am sure okaa-san knew you wanted to be there…"

All was silent for a few moments as the two girls took a moment to remember their lost family, it was Kagome who ended up breaking the silence " Tohru-chan I have to head out now but I was wondering if you and your friends" she paused to gesture to the Sohma's " Would like to come over a visit me at my home for awhile? " Tohru clapped her hands in excitement " We would love to!" she turned to the guys who looked reluctant " Wouldn't we guy's. It will be fun to see Kagome-chan's home." her face was so bright and hopeful not a one of them could say no.

" Feh, alright but only cause I wanna see what kinda place she lives in…" Kyo muttered looking more then a little sullen. Yuki was a bit more polite with his acceptance " I would be honored to accompany you Miss Honda." he sent her a soft smile she didt seem to notice as she turned to the final member of the group.

" I would never turn down an invitation to a beautiful womans home, you can count me in my little flower." Shigure chirped, either unaware of his two younger cousin's suddenly dark battle aura's or choosing to ignore it.

Tohru clapped her hands and turned back to a smiling Kagome " It's all settled then we will be over tomorrow afternoon around noon for a visit!" Kagome nodded and stood, brushed out the wrinkles in her slacks, " Well I had better get going soon, I promised my mother I would be home in time to catch her call." Tohru and two younger Sohma's stood as well " We will walk you to your car Kagome-chan" Tohru chirped.

It was a quite and peaceful walk back to her car until she paused near the spot she remembered the small garden being, she turned to Yuki " You have a wonderful garden Yuki-san, it is very well tended and healthy." Kyo shot her a suspicious look " Oi, how did you know it was the rat's garden!?" she smothered a laugh " Because Tohru wouldn't have the free time to tend it and nether you or Shigure look like the gardening type Kyo-kun." she did giggle at the blush that spread over his face at her sound logic.

Yuki smirked as well " Next time use your brain baka neko," he turned to her " I am sorry to say my garden isn't actually looking it's best right now I am afraid though it was kind of you to say so Miss Higurashi." Kagome frowned " Call me Kagome or Kagome-chan, Higurashi just sounds to old, like my mother…" she laughed and Yuki smiled " Alright then, Kagome-san."

" I don't agree with you at all Yuki-kun I saw your garden earlier and it seemed to be flourishing quite nicely." she pointed though the break in the woods to where his garden lay. All three of her companions gaped at the sigh in front of them, Yuki's once struggling garden looked literally like a completely different one. Gone where the small struggling plants and in their place were strong healthy looking vegetables fit for first place in a fair.

Yuki " What-How-When?!" he stuttered, his violet eyes wide with shock along with Tohru and Kyo's. " I guess they must have recovered from that cold snap we had a little while ago," she flashed them a quick wink " isn't it wonderful what plants can do?" she turned and continued walking, forcing them to follow or get left behind. Tohru and Kyo were the first to follow, it took Yuki a moment or two longer to tear his gaze away from his transformed garden.

Ten minutes of silence later they arrived at her car, and with a quick hug and an exchange of address and number's Tohru and Kagome said goodbye till the next day when they would see where SHE lived…

End Chapter Two

Ok, there you guys have it, chapter two and the first of the Fruits Basket gang. Hope you all enjoyed and remember the more reviews I get the faster I will get these out cause they inspire me to write I will post more when I get 10 reviews for this chapter.

My count now is 9 so when I hit 19 I will post again.


	3. Chapter Three

Ok first off, I am soooo sorry I didn't update sooner! I have no real excuse except that I was having hard time deciding how Kagome and Hatori's first meeting should go. Well that and the fact I am currently working on three other stories that I will be posting soon. One is a Inu Yasha/ Yu Yu Hakusho crossover, another is pure Inu Yasha with a Sess/Kag pairing and the final one is a Lord of the Ring and Sailor Moon crossover that just wouldn't get out of my head with a Legolas/Usagi ( Serena) pairing. So if you want me to post the chapters I do have finished let me know and I can put them up.

Pairings:

Ok it is final on Kagome, she will he with Hatori. He won by like 15 votes…lol

Tohru/Kyo 8

Tohru/Yuki 3

Kagura/Kyo 1

Questions answers:

1.) Where and who are the other zodiac members?

Well there are 13 member's in all and so far I have only introduced the 3 that live in the Sohma house.

Yuki Sohma- Rat

Shigure Sohma- dog

Kyo Sohma- cat

The rest seem to live in the Sohma Main House they include

Hatori Sohma- dragon ( is a Kawaii little seahorse when transformed)

Ayame Sohma- snake ( also Yuki's older brother)

Kureno Sohma- rooster ( I don't know if he will play much a part in this cause I haven't really seen his character much yet)

Isuzu (Rin) Sohma- horse ( I don't really know much about her)

Ritsu Sohma- monkey (very timid and a cross dresser for that same reason. Male)

Hatsuharu (Haru) Sohma- Ox ( yeah my fave bishonen!)

Kagura Sohma- boar (violent crush on Kyo)

Momiji Sohma- rabbit (looks younger then his age)

Kisa Sohma- Tiger (very shy)

Hiro Sohma- ram or sheep (loves Kisa with all his young heart)

Akito Sohma- God to the cursed zodiac members (very cold and slightly twisted man due to his duty as the core of the curse. Destined to die at a fairly young age.)

Each of these characters will make at least one appearance at some point though certain characters will appear more often then others.

2.) Is Shippo going to be in this?

Yes in fact he may make a appearance at the very end of this chapter or the beginning of the next one.

3.) Does Kagome still go through the well?

No, she sealed the well permanently after her year of training in her demonic ability's in order to prevent past Inu Yasha from bugging her. Mainly because that's what she was told she had done by Sesshomaru and Shippo who had already lived it.

4.) Can the other's go through the well?

I think the above statement answers that but just in case, no they cannot.

5.) How old are Kagome and the others?

OK, I had a little fun with the ages here. Kagome is two years older then Tohru so when she moved at 10 Tohru was only 8. To sum it up here is a list of all characters ages.

Kagome- 20

Tohru-18

Kyo-18-19 (they never said exactly how old they were…)

Yuki-18-19

Shigure 24-25

Hatori 25-26

Ayame 24-25

Ritsu 23-24

Kureno- 26-27 (I have no idea about him so I am guessing)

Kagura- 21 (she is two years older then Yuki and Kyo)

Rin- 19 (guessing here)

Hatsuharu- 16-17 (two years younger then Yuki and Kyo)

Momiji- 16-17

Kisa- 14

Hiro-14

Akito- 22 (I know he is younger then Shigure and the others but slightly older then Yuki and Kyo)

OK, that should answer all questions, but if you are still confused please let me know in your review so I can explain and answer all your questions.

A special thanks goes out to **_Kage Otome_** for recommending my stories to others. It is really great to know someone out there likes my writing enough to recommend it. As a special treat I would like to offer you the choice of 1.) When Kagome first kisses Hatori or 2.) Special preview of chapter four and my newest stories before I post them.

And to **_Dee-chan _**for her wonderful review and offer to draw me something if I just posted a new chapter, not to mention she was actually one of the few to vote Shigure/Kagome. I totally plan on starting on one of those since this one couldn't be one like I would have preferred.

Well ok then now that that's out of the way lets get this chapter started!

Chapter Three

Kagome woke up the next day feeling a little nervous, it would be the first time she had entertained anyone outside her family in a long time. Not to mention there was the small factor of the disturbing phone call she had gotten from Shippo last night. Apparently while Inu was out he had run into Kouga and the cocky wolf had scented Kagome on the hanyou, so now the wolf knew she was still alive and 'back' in Japan and was determined to track her down. It appears that after she had disappeared through the well for the last time after finishing her training they had just told him she was gone, unreachable to him or any other demon that wanted her. That hadn't stopped him from searching for her for over 200 years though. And even when he did stop he hadn't moved on to another woman, he still held to the whole ' Kagome is my woman' mantra. It apparently stemmed from the fact that once Kouga declared himself to her he couldn't mate with another till either she died or mated with someone else and released him from his bonds. So basically he always knew she was still alive but figured she would come to him when she was ready. She figured she had at least two or three days before he managed to track her down, he always was very good at finding her even when she didn't want to be found. She could only hope he wouldn't show up and make a scene in front of Tohru and her friends, that would be the worst thing that could happen outside of Inu showing up with his kawaii little ears showing.

She stepped out of her rather large bed and padded over to her connecting bathroom, her muscles were a little tense from falling asleep worried the night before and she needed a relaxing bath. Within minutes she had shed her silky silver camisole set and had slipped into the vanilla scented water. She could feel her muscles relaxing almost immediately and allowed a soft moan of contentment to escape her lips. It had been a very tense week and she had defiantly needed this before her cousin visited with her very unique friends, it was strange but she had the oddest feeling something important was going to happen that day…

Sohma House

Tohru was busy getting ready to go see her cousin, trying to pick out just the right outfit. She had already discarded her usual plain turtleneck dresses and was now looking through her assortment of skirts and blouses. She wanted to look nice but still be comfortable so it was a fairly hard choice, nothing to short but also nothing to plain…

In the end she picked a simple long sleeved pale green summer dress, it went t o her knees and had a slight ruffle along the hem. It was a little more fitted then most of her own choices but it flattered her very delicate figure. It was an outfit created for her by Ayame when she needed something casual yet still elegant for when Yuki had asked her out the year before. She had never gotten a chance to wear it though since Yuki had fallen sick shortly after asking her and had been unable to take her, it had just been hanging in her closet since then. She leaned over and picked up the simple black knee high boots that went with the outfit and started down the stairs to the kitchen where she could hear Yuki and Shigure talking.

" You should have asked Miss Honda before deciding to call Hatori. What if miss Honda's cousin gets mad because we showed up with an extra guest with no warning at all?" you could tell from his tone of voice he was clearly annoyed. She walked into the room just in time to see the Inu wave his younger cousins concerns away, " Don't worry I am sure she wont mind at all. Besides we can always call her before we leave and give her time to prepare if you want."

" That's a great idea Shigure-san" Tohru broke in, bringing both men's eyes to her since she had walked into the kitchen." I will go call her now so she wont be surprised when Hatori-san shows up with us." Having said what she needed to she turned and left the kitchen for the hallway phone, not noticing the stunned silence she had left behind. " My little flower has truly blossomed…" Shigure finally said. His eyes went glassy as he started to picture what Tohru had on under her unusually form fitting outfit. Yuki snapped out of his daze with those words and smacked the now drooling dog upside his head, " Don't you dare think about Miss Honda that way you hentai mutt." He muttered before leaving to go after Tohru, leaving a smirking Shigure alone in the kitchen.

Back out in the hallway Tohru had just finished talking with Kagome and was reassured that her cousin didn't mind her bringing another guest. She had explained how since none of them had a car it would be Hatori giving them a ride over there and back to the Sohma house, Kagome said it was no problem to just make sure to give him the directions she had written out. After hanging up the phone she turned to see Yuki standing in the hall behind her, he was dressed not in his usual black slacks and Chinese style shirt; but a pair of black pants with a red shirt topped by a white dress shirt. " So did you tell our cousin about Hatori's tagging along?" he asked. She nodded and headed over to the entryway to place her boots down till they left, her sock clad feet barely made any noise as she walked across the polished wooden floor." Yes, she said it was fine with her. To just make sure to give him the directions and to be sure to be on time so the snack she is having made for us doesn't get cold." He nodded, " Your cousin seems really nice Honda-san, I am not surprised she is the artist behind some of my favorite paintings. She just seems to give off that same caring aura as you..." his voice trailed off and he started to blush when he realized what he had just said. Tohru ducked her head and blushed a dark pink " Well I had better go check on Kyo-kun and make sure he is almost ready, Hatori-san should be here in half an hour to pick us up" she stammered. He nodded and moved aside so she could go past him, inhaling her soft scent of strawberries and roses as she passed him by.

( AN: I have a picture of both Yuki, Kyo's and Tohru's outfits if anyone care to see them. Just leave a request in your review and your e-mail so I can send it.)

Up in his room Kyo was already dressed and laying on his bed, just waiting to be called down. He was in his traditional jeans and black t-shirt but this time the jeans were dark denim, not tan. And he had an over shirt almost the same color as Tohru's eyes on. His mind was full of questions about Tohru's cousin Kagome, who was she really that she could beat Yuki so easily despite his increased speed and strength due to his zodiac curse? Not only that but what was that strange feeling he got when close to her, it was like an electric tingle right down his spine. He had never felt that before unless he was changing into his true cursed form, so why would he get that feeling around her? Was she cursed as well, and if so who had done it and what was the nature of her curse? He was so busy thinking about her cousin he failed to notice Tohru quietly slip into his room after knocking on his door. So when he looked over and she was standing right next to his bed he was unable to hold back his yelp of surprise, " Damn it Tohru don't sneak up on me like that!" He yelled, but instantly regretted it when she started panicking and apologizing profusely. " Don't worry about it. I wasn't really mad, just surprised..." he waved his hand and did his best to calm her down by brushing it off and focusing on a new subject. " So what are you doing in my room, did you need me to help you with something?"

Tohru shook her head and sat down on the edge of his bed, " No I just wanted to make sure you were ready since Hatori-san in going to be here soon." Her eyes locked with his and you could almost see the tension between them, it was like they were both ready to go up in flames if just one of them moved forward and sparked it. Just when Kyo started to lean forward to claim Tohru lightly glossed lips Shigure's voice called up to them " You two ready up there? Ha-san is gonna be here in a few minutes." Tohru jerked back like she had been scalded by hot water and Kyo ducked his head to hide his embarrassed blush. They both got up and headed for the door, Kyo staying back to allow Tohru to pass through ahead of him so she wouldn't accidentally bump into him and cause him to transform. They made it downstairs just in time to hear Hatori knock on the door so Tohru moved forward to answer it. When she opened the door Hatori stood there dressed not in his usual black slacks, white dress shirt and dark gray fitted vest but in his black suite. ( AN: the one he wore when he went with Tohru, Shigure, and Yuki to see Akito.)

" You look wonderful Hatori-san!" Tohru exclaimed, taking in the calm doctors rather well defined frame. And it was true, though he certainly didn't work out Hatori had the broad shoulders and lean frame that most women young or old would dream about. He merely nodded and looked behind her to check for Shigure, " Is everyone ready to go? We need to leave soon if we are going to make it on time." He would admit to being more then a little curious about Tohru's cousin, who Shigure had informed him was the famous artist Destiny. He had first become interested when Akito had taken a liking to her works and had started talking about her during his annual check up's every week; then he had actually seen one of her works and had been quite taken with the sense of tentative hope it had seemed to project. Since then he had kept an eye out for her newest works and had even begun setting aside some of his money in order to buy one of her portraits, it was of a young woman standing alone on the seashore. Her slim body encased in a wispy old-fashioned white nightgown as she stood there, her head bowed; in her hands she carried a bushel of white roses that blew away in a spiral of petals in an unseen wind. Her long raven hair obscured her face so you couldn't read her expression but the way she stood made you think she was lonely, sad, and yet still hopeful that the wind and water would wash away her pain.

He had felt drawn to this painting since the very first time he had seen a picture of it and knew he was destined to own it. There was just something about the emotions captured in that scene that made him feel like there was still hope for him, that he could find someone strong enough to bear the knowledge of his curse and Akito's rages. He was snapped out of his reverie when Shigure' s chirpy voice called out " Well, well Ha-san. Aren't we eager to meet Kagome-chan?" the dragon sent the Inu a blank look " I merely wish to be on time Shigure." He stated calmly, his eyes taking in Shigure's own dark suite and styled hair. He lifted a slim brow " If anything I would say YOU were the one trying to impress her."

Shigure waved a hand at him, " Now, now ha-san you know me better then that. I just wanted to look my best so my little flower here," he placed his hands on Tohru's shoulder and leaned in to whisper in her ear " wouldn't be embarrassed." He finished with a seductive purr. Tohru blushed and started to stammer that they would never embarrass her but they all ignored her, Yuki and Kyo both to busy prying the inu's hands off of her and smacking him upside the head for his comments. Sighing at the small scene of chaos in front of him Hatori pressed his hand to his temple and rubbed a little, " So are you all ready to go or not?" he inquired to Tohru. She nodded and he offered her his arm, " Shall we start for the car then? They will follow us once they realize we have left." She nodded and placed her arm in his, obviously still in a bit of a daze.

Almost a half hour later Hatori's car pulled up in front of a huge gate framed on either side by a rather large security wall, the gate itself was in the traditional Japanese style like the one at the Sohma main house. Kyo whistled " Damn, that girl must be loaded if she lives in a place with a gate like this. It's bigger then the one at the main house…" Tohru nodded her head, she was more then a little nervous now that she had an idea of just how rich her cousin was. Hatori for his part just looked down at the paper in his hands to make sure he had the right address, it was. They all sat there for a minute while they considered how they were to let Kagome know they were there, it was Shigure who spotted the intercom set up in front of the gate. " I think we are supposed to ring up the house to open the gate using that " he said, pointing to it. Hatori nodded and pulled the car alongside it " Hello?" he said, pressing the call button. " Please state your business with the estate." A brisk voice answered, it sounded male. " Tohru leaned towards the intercom from her place in the passenger seat " I'm Tohru Honda, here to see my cousin Kagome…" she sounded a little nervous. The voice immediately softened and became more friendly " Oh you must be the guests Lady Kagome has been waiting for, please wait just a moment while I open the gates." The intercom clicked off and a few seconds later the enormous gates started to open.

When Hatori pulled through gate they all got their first look at Kagome's home, it was set a good distance from the gate but they could still make it out. Like most of the more wealthy homes in Japan this one wasn't in the traditional style but a more Western one with a slight French turn of the century look to it. (AN: I have no idea what that looks like so go with me on this…) It was a rather large mansion made of a pale cream-colored stone with a faintly gold tint around the window frames, which were large and curved on the top. (Think closed off upside down U.)

" Wow…" Yuki, Tohru and Kyo murmured taking it all in. The house was quite impressive compared to what they had expected, grander then they had pictured Kagome choosing. " Yes, quite a house for a woman of only 20, did you say?" Hatori noted. Tohru nodded " Hai, Kagome-chan is only 20 years old, though her birthday is in a month." She was still staring a little awe struck at her cousin's house. Kyo " Damn I never expected it to be so big, and check out that fountain at the end of driveway!" he was referring the large fountain set in the middle of the circular gravel driveway they were currently driving up. It seemed to be made out of white marble and the carved figure of an angel with long hair holding a pitcher of pouring water stood at it's center, it was gorgeous. " Well I for one think it is the perfect place for her to do her paintings, very calm and private so no one can interrupt her." Yuki pointed out. They all nodded agreeing with him, even Kyo who normally didn't agree with anything the nezume said on principle alone. Hatori pulled to a stop in front the houses front porch steps and turned off the car, " Well, shall we go meet your cousin Tohru-san?" she nodded and everyone piled out of the car.

Inside the house Kagome had just been informed of their arrival and was already heading down to greet them, she had just had it to the top of the entryway stairs when she heard the bell ring and saw Taiki, one of the servants, go to answer it. She had taken more time then normal getting ready, and was been running a little behind because of it. Much like Tohru she had wanted to look nice and had spent quite awhile choosing the right outfit. In the end though she had picked one of the dresses Sesshomaru had bought her, he hadn't approved of her short skirts. It was a off the shoulder summer dress in the darkest of purples and hugged her lush breasts then fell in simple flowing lines to her knee's. She had matched it with a pair of simple high-heeled sandals in black and matching amethyst and diamond pendant. It was a simple yet elegant outfit that she felt suited the occasion perfectly.

She made it to the bottom of the stairs just as Tohru and her four companions walked into the house, " koneko-chan!" she called drawing everyone's attention to herself. As she approached her gaze was locked onto her cousin, so she failed to notice the startled intake of breath and slightly pole-axed look now gracing the face of the newest member of her cousin's group of friends. A certain Inu on the other hand didn't miss it and couldn't resist a small smirk _' looks like Ha-san likes what he sees'_

Hatori stood transfixed as the vision in front of him continued to approach, her face lit up by a brilliant smile aimed at Tohru. She was one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen, her long raven hair and deep blue eyes seemed to pull him in till he felt like drowning…

" Hatori-san, Hatori-san?" his daze was broken by Tohru's concerned voice. He turned to look into her worried gaze " Hai, Tohru-san? Gomen but I was caught up thinking about something." She sent him a soft, concerned smile " Are you sure your alright Hatori-san?" she asked. He nodded and turned to Kagome, " It's a pleasure to meet you Higurashi-san. I am Sohma Hatori, a cousin of Shigure, Yuki and Kyo's" she bowed " It is a pleasure to meet you Sohma-san," she winked at him " But please call me Kagome, Higurashi-san sounds to old."

He gave her a genuine smile " As you wish Kagome-san, but in return please call me Hatori and not Sohma-san. It would be a little confusing, what with all the Sohma's here." She nodded and gestured to her left " Very well then, would you please follow me to where our tea is waiting?" she didn't wait for them to answer but took Tohru's arm and started leading them to her favorite room, the sitting room just off of the main area where she was working on her newest painting. Hatori and the others followed behind her, each thinking very different things but the focus of them was the same, Kagome. Once they entered the room though each of them froze in shock, on the walls were many stunning paintings.

" D-did you paint all of these Kagome-san?" Yuki, the first to recover asked. Kagome nodded " Yes, these are all from my private collection. I don't allow anyone outside my friends and family to see them." Her voice was matter of fact when she replied. Shigure couldn't help but ask, " Why do you not place them in your shows Kagome-chan?" he was more then a little curious about her answer. She moved across the room and sat down before answering him, " Well I guess you could say it is because these painting are to close to my heart. If I placed any of these in my gallery then people would want to buy them and well I can't bear to part with them." She gazed lovingly at one of a giant silver dog laying on a cloud, a giant full moon hung in the background giving it a very mystical feeling.

Kyo, " So what's the story behind that painting? You seem very fond of it." She gestured for them to sit and they did, Yuki, Kyo and Tohru on the couch across from her and both Shigure and Hatori in two of the chairs beside the table. " I painted that because it came to me in a dream. A good portion of my paintings are inspired by my dreams, that one is one of my favorites because it reminds me of a very dear friend of mine." All was quite for a minute while Tohru and the others took her reply in, Kagome seeing this decided to pour the tea already set out. She served Tohru first, then Hatori, Shigure, Kyo, Yuki and then finally herself, she set her cup down with a small click of china. " So Tohru, I have been meaning to ask you something." Tohru looked up from her teacup, " Hai, Kagome-chan?"

" Would you care to live with me? Or would you like to continue living with the Sohma's?" she was unsurprised when the room went deathly silent and still. " W-why do you ask?" Tohru stuttered. Kagome lifted her cup and took a sip before placing it down again, " Because you are family Tohru, it would be wonderful to have you live here with me." She paused " but I can see that you are quite happy with the Sohma's and I don't want you to feel you have to live here if you would rather stay there." All the males in the room gave audible sighs of relief and even Tohru seemed to relax a little. Tohru, " I would like to remain with the Sohma's if that is alright," she sent Kagome a uncertain smile " They have become like my true family if you can understand that..."

" I can understand that, I too have a family who is not my own so I can understand you not wanting to leave them." She winked " Besides I wouldn't want to leave such a group of bishsonen either." Tohru blushed and so did Yuki and Kyo while both Shigure and Hatori couldn't help but smile. Hatori's attention though was caught by her words, " What did you mean by 'a family who is not my own'?" Kagome looked surprised that he had asked her, and so did Shigure and the others for that matter. She tensed for a second before relaxing and answering him, " Well like I told Tohru and the others the other day. When I moved to Tokyo I made many new friends, five in particular are more like my brothers and sister then friends. They helped me through some very rough times and I would do anything for them, the same way they would do anything for me should I ask it of them." She hoped that would satisfy him.

Hatori and the others were curious about these friends of hers but never got the chance to ask since right as Kyo opened his mouth a knock came at the door. " Lady Kagome, there is a guest here to see you." a female servant dressed in a simple dark blue kimono stated, waiting for Kagome's orders. They all watched as Kagome tensed, " Wolf?" she asked, like it was important. The servant shook her head and opened her mouth to answer but a loud voice calling out " 'Gome! Where are you Kagome?" cut her off.

Kagome eyes lit up, " Shippo!" she cried and stood, running to the door and throwing it open. Two seconds later she was picked up and swung around by a tall man with long reddish brown hair and the brightest green eyes any of them had ever seen before.

End Chapter Three

OK, that's the end of this chapter. If you liked it leave a review saying what you liked or didn't like in it. I will post more as soon as I can but for some fucked up reason MSN, my internet company, has been acting up and shutting off my service for a few days at a time so I might not be able to post as often as I would like.

Koneko's Tears


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